Weather Condition:
Weather condition was varied during the period of expedition. The temperature varied from 35° Celsius to -12° Celsius at night.

Snow & Rock Condition:
Most of the area was free from snow upto Manirang pass.

Technical Difficulty:
During summit attempt we climbed a rockface around 1000 feet just beyond summit camp. At the uppermost portion Rock and ice mix zone about 800 feet.

Expedition Photos

Report

THE JOURNEY: The team started from Howrah on 24.08.2011 by Kalka Mail and reached Chandigarh on 26.08.11 morning. There from we traveled by bus and reached at Manali on the same day evening. Mr. Narinder Rana, Mr. Mohan Singh and Mr. Chander Thakur met us on the same day and also joined the team as HAS.

On the 27th we completed entire marketing from Manali and pack up the total load.

On the 28th we started by Chartered Bus at 6 a.m. for Mane village and reached there at 8 p.m. and we spent the night there. On the 29th We collected 7 mules from the village to carry our load at Base camp. We started for TC -I at 10-00 a.m. After a trek around two hours we reached near Yang Tso. We established camp there.

On the 30th we started from TC-I for Base camp (at 8-30 a.m. First we moved through a vast field.Then we crossed a Nala. After crossing the Nala we started to negotiate a gradual slopekeepig the said Nala on our right. It was a long march.We establish our Base camp on the right bank of the nala. That night we spent at Base camp. Temperature at 9 p.m. was 4o Celsius. On the 31st we took rest at BC for better acclimatization. The weather condition was very good. After breakfast we finally checked up the equipment and sorted out the ration for higher camps.

On the 1st September we moved for load ferry to Camp-I at 8-00 a.m. All the members first moved through the right bank of the nala. After sometime we crossed the nala and started moving through a gradual slope keeping the nala on our left. We marched about three hours. Then we again crossed the nala and reached on moraine zone on the right bank. we dumped our load there and returned to BC. On the 2nd September we moved for Camp-I following the same route. We established our Camp-I at an altitude of 5200 mtr. (approx) at 1-30 p.m.

On the 3rd we started for load ferry to Camp-II at 8-00 a.m. First we moved folowinh the right bank of the nala. After a while we started to negotiate a boulder slope. Somewhere it was stiff. Then we reached on a vast boulder field. We cross the boulder field and again startedto negotiate a stiff slope of scree.reaching on the top of that slope we dumped our load there at 1-00pm. and returned to camp-I following the same route.

On the 4th September we moved for Camp-II following the same route. We established our Camp-II at an altitude of 5200 mtr. (approx) at 2-30 p.m. We found an icefield of a glacier towards Manirang Pass. Manirang Pass was clearly visible from our campsite. The weather condition was not so good at night.

On the 5th we started for load ferry to Camp-III at 9-00 a.m. First we moved folowing the ice field of the glacier towards Manirang pass. After a while we started to negotiate a stiff slope of moraine. The upper part of the slope was covered by soft snow which met at pass. Somewhere it was too stiff. Reaching on the pass we again started to negotiate a stiff loose boulder slope. After one hour we found a small boulder field where there was kitchen setup of previous expedition. We dumped our load there at 1-00pm. and returned to camp-II following the same route.

On the 6th September we moved for Camp-II following the same route. We established our Camp-II at an altitude of 5200 mtr. (approx) at 2-00 p.m. Manirang peak was clearly visible from here. We found a rockface towards Manirang Peak. Manirang Pass was clearly visible from our campsite. The weather condition was not so good at night. Snowfall started at 10.00 p.m. and continued around three hours. Temperature at 11 p.m. was -4o Celsius.

On the 7th September entire area was covered by soft snow. Narinder, Chander and Mohan moved for recee and rope fixing towards summit route following the rock face. They climbed the rockface and fixed rope entire the route. They reached on the top of the rockface after three hours and returned to summit camp. According to them the route was very difficuld due to loose rockson the face. Anytime it could happen injury by rockfall. For that reason we decided to make a smaller team to avoid an accident by rockfall. Temperature we measured at 8-00pm was minus -8o Celsious.

On the 8th september morning we woke up at 3-00 a.m. and being prepared Dipankar, Rajib, Sandip, Narinder, Chander, Mohan and myself moved for summit attempt at 4-55 am. Weather condition was not so good, chilled wind was blowing, the temperature was ¬-15O Celsius. We were climbing over the rock and ice mixed slope following the fixed rope. On the middle portion of the rockface Rajib injured by a rockfall. God saved that it was not so fatal. We reached on the top of the rockface at 6-30 am. We set our crampon here and again following the sharp ridge we continued to fix rope. After gaining that ridge we started climbing through gradual snow slope. It was a long enough. At 10 ‘Oclock we found a rock and ice mix zone towards summit. There was too stiff somewhere. We started to fix rope here.Sandip was feeling uneasy and he wanted to stay there. After sometime the Iceaxe of Chuder broke and he also wanted to stay there just near to summit. The climbing on the last portion was tiring. At 1-10 p.m. myself with Dipankar,Rajib Chunder and mohan reached on the summit.the weather condition was not so clear. We offered puja and took photographs at summit. We prayed to the almighty at summit and also were busy to enjoy sweet memories as well as to take photographs of 360O surroundings. Though low clouds covered the entire area, we were lucky enough to found some unidentified peaks surrounding the summit. At 1-45 p.m. we started to return back following the same route and reached summit camp at 6-10 pm. The night we spent at summit camp.

On 9th at 10-00 a.m. we started to return back to base camp. Following the same route we reached at the Base Camp with all loads including waste plastic and empty gas cylinders ultimately at 4-00 p.m.

On the 10th we collected all the garbage’s from the campsite and buried those. We took the excess loads with waste plastic, empty gas cylinders, and other wastage materials collected by the members by porters to keep Himalayas Clean. We started from base camp at 12-45 pm and reached Mane village in the evening. That night we spent at Mane.

On the 11th we returned back to Kaza by a car. That night we spent at Kaza.

On the 12th we returned back to Manali by a car. That night we spent at manali.

On the 13th we stayed at Manali.

On the 14th morning we started for Chandigarh and on the same day evening we availed Train and reached Howrah on 16th September morning.

We convey our sincere thanks to Indian Mountaineering Foundation, New Delhi, Dept. of Youth affairs & Sports, Govt. of West Bengal and all other well wishers for their kind patronage for the expedition.

Bharat Gaurav Award

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